London - Nelson

[ColinJ]

Martin - I've just looked at your route in more detail and I can save you about 200 metres of climbing.

Your route goes Milnrow, Rochdale, Whitworth, Bacup, Burnley. The highest point that way is Deerplay after Bacup at 407 metres.

I suggest that instead you go: Milnrow, B6225 (Hollingworth Lake), Littleborough, Todmorden (people riding with you could turn right there for the YH at Mankinholes on the hillside between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge), A646 to rejoin your route at the junction with the A671 on the fringes of Burnley. The high point that way is only at about 231 m, I think it is a more scenic route, and it is about the same distance.

 

[ColinJ]

Actually - if anybody does want to go to the YH at Mankinholes, a much better way to get to it is to turn right up Hollins Lane in Walsden about 2 kms before Todmorden, and after another km, turn right for Lumbutts/Mankinholes.

 

[400bhp]

Martin - I have just had a 2 day conference confirmed in Brighton on 31 May & 1 June. I'm contemplating cycling back to Manchester at some point between then and the following Tuesday (long bank hol weekend & my sister lives in south London). Shame I'm going the opposite way as our paths very nearly cross.

I suspect I will be asking for route advice here shortly.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

martin, it's only a little help (nelson born n bred) but it is at the end. avoid going over by marsden cross and go thru brierfield, it'll save going over a bloody big hill for no reason. also i'd go thry royton and oldham, i use these roads when commuting from rossendale and they're ok and seem more direct.

another option is to cut straight thru manchester onto bury, more direct and flatter, again perfectly good roads i use when commuting to uni.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

possible alternative route. past birmingham i let the software complete and have no idea if it's any good.


http://ridewithgps.com/routes/968696

 

[martint235]

Thanks but I quite like that hill out of Burnley and over the Marsden Cross. Plus it's a nice run down off the top and it avoids Brierfield which is never a bad thing. The end point also isn't where my parents live (paranoid or what!) and the run from the Marsden Cross will put me near to where I actually want to be.

400bhp, I'm now riding up to Nelson rather than back but on Weds 6th June if you can hold out that long.

 

[400bhp]

Best I could do is hold out until Tuesday, and that would be a push.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Thanks but I quite like that hill out of Burnley and over the Marsden Cross. Plus it's a nice run down off the top and it avoids Brierfield which is never a bad thing. The end point also isn't where my parents live (paranoid or what!) and the run from the Marsden Cross will put me near to where I actually want to be.

400bhp, I'm now riding up to Nelson rather than back but on Weds 6th June if you can hold out that long.

sadist!!!!....

 

[martint235]

sadist!!!!....

Oh come on admit it, the run down from the Cross on to Hibson Road, you don't need to pedal until you're in the centre of town!

 

[martint235]

Best I could do is hold out until Tuesday, and that would be a push.

Shame. Much as I love my parents, I'll already be spending 3 days in their company which will be pushing it for me.

There is a route earlier in the thread that should do you, you'll just need to tweak it into Manchester.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Oh come on admit it, the run down from the Cross on to Hibson Road, you don't need to pedal until you're in the centre of town!

if you haven't been knocked off by some crazy ass driver, and nelson has a lot more than most places for some reason.

i remember once my wife, kids and i, were nearly wiped out (missed by literally inches) when we were going down past 'edge end', 2 boy racers were going so fast coming up the hill that they lost traction on the corner and 720-ed accross the road and hit the big tree outside the school gates.

 

[martint235]

It's a little unnerving discussing Nelson with someone else although I suppose I obviously can't be the only person to have grown up there. So long as you don't start telling me you used to drink in Jimmy's it'll be ok!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

jimmy's....no way am i that rough!!!...

 

[martint235]

That was my second home. The nights I spent in there playing poker and then going down to the Trop afterwards. Happy days. I still can't believe they were allowed to pull Jimmy's down.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

grab a granny!!!...i forgot about the trop!!